Fallen For The Forbidden
by JG1282
Summary: I am Beth, and my brother Negan, is a monster. I stay as far away from his affairs as I can get, but when he brings a new prisoner to the Saviors, I cannot stay away. The problem is, I think I'm falling in love with this guy named Daryl, but if he finds out I'm Negan's sister, I'm dead. The only thing that can save me is my secrets, yet I'm the only one who can save Daryl.
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors Note: **_Okay so I have decided to try something new. Some of you will probably not like it. I am hoping you will give this story a chance and wait to see the direction of where I am headed before judging to harshly. In this story only one character will be changed for the plot that I have thought of. I'm sorry if it offends anyone, but I really like the idea and had to write it, because it is so very different.

_**Attention*** **_Beth will be Negan's sister in this story…

_**Please Review and let me know what you think… Thanks for reading**_

_**Beth**_

I had a monster for a brother. Before the world went to shit, he'd been a good man, a good husband and a good father to his brand-new baby. Yet it was only a year after his daughter's birth when she'd gotten sick and wound up in the hospital, eventually the little girl had died from a heart murmur that had went untreated. Then only six months after his daughter's burial, his wife, Lucille, had died of cancer. The stages to far advanced for medical treatment to make much difference. After Lucille and baby, Jamie had passed, Negan had become withdrawn and depressed, bouts of rage would rule his waking moments, and most of the time, he'd be in a drunken stupor by noon.

Then the end of the world came, and he'd sunk further into a dark place. An unreachable place. He'd started carrying a bat named after his dead wife, and at first, I pitied him. I was his last living relative, and on July 4, when the dead started to rise, and started attacking people, Negan had come for me. At the time I had just started college and was so excited to be on my own. While I had loved my brother, I was finally making a future and a life for myself. Yet as soon as he'd come, I'd had little choice but to follow, after all no one said no to Negan.

He'd started a group, a very large group, with dominance and fear being his primary weapon. At first it had started small, him gathering roadies, and loners as we traveled here to Virginia, but soon we had a whole community of people. When things had started, I thought he was doing something wonderful trying to save people, and shortly however, I learned that wasn't quite the truth. Negan had started taking member's wives, and daughters as his wife, and the brother I once knew had disappeared altogether. Soon he was calling the community the Saviors and visiting other communities they'd found on their travels.

While I wasn't exactly permitted to go on their runs, I heard stories of the horrendous acts he'd been a part of. I really didn't know the man Negan became, and he wasn't exactly trying to let me close to him any longer. I was under his protection however, being his sister, I was completely off limits to anyone really. The women were afraid to take me as their friend, because they feared I would tell Negan the things going on behind his back, or of their hatred for him. Little did they know, I hated my own brother, he was a fraction of the man he'd once been, and I no longer recognized him. The men needless to say kept their distance, Negan would have had their heads on spikes, and that was if they were lucky, and if not a whole hell of a lot worse, if they dared to approach me.

I thought about killing him myself. A dozen times I had contemplated how to do it, but in the end, I had been a coward. You might think I should just put a bullet in his head, and you would be exactly right, I should. I should sneak into his room one night and put poison on something in his water he kept by his bed. I should slit his throat one day, just walk right up to him and end his miserable existence. I didn't do any of those things, however, I sat idly by while he tortured, and a lot of times killed people. Trust me, I really wanted to, but then what?

After Negan was dead then what would happen to me? Everyone hated me by association. I couldn't blame them really. I kind of hated me too. They would come for me. Probably let me turn, and chain me to the fence. I guess those were a few of the things that kept me from acting out my fantasy of annihilating my own brother.

Instead I created a haven of my own. I had found a secluded spot on the roof of the old factory we'd made a community of. No one but Negan, and a few of his right-hand men knew about it, but no one bothered me up here. Sometimes I sat for hours, reading or just watching, and I even did a little daydreaming up here. The imagination was endless while staring at a bright blue sky. Sometimes I even managed to forget the world had went to hell, and I was holding my niece. Or that I had graduated and was working as a vet in some little tiny city surrounded by cows and horses.

That's where I was right now. On the roof and in my own little world, the perfect place for a person related to a psycho. If I needed anything at all, I had a radio at my side, and my brother's men would bring me lunch, or maybe even Negan himself.

Pulling my blond hair, nearly to my waist now, over my shoulders I combed my fingers through the long strands. I was getting ready to braid the thick mass when a commotion broke out on the ground somewhere. Leaving the lawn chair where I sat, I went to edge of the building to see what was underway beneath me.

Looked like Dwayne was back with more prisoners in the back of his truck. Normally, I stayed as far away from Negan's business as I could get, but for some reason I felt my heart contract as I stared at the occupants in the bed of Dwayne's truck. There was an Asian man, a woman with dreads, and next to her a man that looked as wild as my brother. They were both tied and gaged, and actually chained to the steel beneath them. There had been no chance of escape.

I had to admit. Negan thought of everything before anyone else did that was for sure. If there was a weakness at all, my brother was a master at finding it.

"Beth, why don'tcha come down and get the door," Dwayne yelled up to me.

Typically, I would have ignored him. I wouldn't help these men, not even my own brother, torture innocent people. Wanting to get a closer look at the occupants in the truck proved to be my weakness, however. "Hold on, be down in a minute."

I hurried to the door leading inside the building and made quick work of the three flights of stairs to the what was the courtyard. Within minutes, I pushed through the heavy metal doors, and a burst of sunlight flooded the dim factory. Just as I held the door, Dwayne, one of Negan's lackies, appeared holding my gaze for a long moment before turning to the people he'd captured.

If there was anyone in this whole facility, I felt sorry for at any point it would have to be Dwayne. Negan had done a number or two on him. First, he'd taken Dwayne's wife as his own, and then when Dwayne would have protested, my brother had placed a hot iron on his face, effectively shutting down any type of resistance. That was the last day I had actually watched the horrors Negan was capable of, and when I knew the brother I'd grown up with no longer existed.

When Dwayne rounded the truck to take the prisoners from the back, my brows drew together as I watched them being unloaded. They looked to be in pretty bad condition, which was little surprise really, and I could only assume they were being kept for some form of trade, or much worse, knowing Negan.

Dwayne and Shepard yanked the Asian man from the back of the truck no too gently and let him fall to the ground with a painful thud. The black woman came next, and while she put up a struggle, she wound up in the same predicament as the Asian. Then it came time for them to take the wild man from the back, and I could tell before they touched him it was going to be a workout. As soon as Shepherd reached for his arm to heft him up, the man's legs shot out, and wrapped around Shepherds. Losing his balance, Shepherd tipped to the side, and wound up flat on his ass.

I just barely managed to keep the smile from my lips. Yet my enthusiasm didn't last long because Dwayne made easy work of jumping into the bed and planting the butt of his rifle into the temple of the struggling man. Instantly, the guy went down, probably knocked out was my guess.

"Go find Simon, gonna need help gettin' this one out," Dwayne yelled to me. I bit my lip, wanting to protest, but that wouldn't help anything. I cringed when Dwayne used his booted feet to kick the fallen man, several times, mumbling, "Worthless horse's ass… Son of a fuckin' bitch…"

Unable to watch what was happening, I ducked inside, and went to locate Simon. I ran through the building to the bunk house. If Simon wasn't on a run, he was probably sitting in his room, that's what most of the guys in my brother's command did. When I would have turned to head down the long hall, I smacked into a moving object, its arms shooting out to catch me before I fell.

Jerking out of the arms of the wall I had collided with, my blue gaze met no one other than Negan. Inwardly I shivered, his black glittering eyes intimidating even to me, but somehow, I managed to keep my composure, as he said, "Hey little sister, what's got yer panties in a bunch?"

Taken off guard by running into the one man I went out of my way to avoid, I cleared my throat, my explanation stammering out. "Dwayne… he needs… needs some help. He told me to find Simon."

The very last person I wanted to take to the new prisoners stood before me with a cocky smile. If there was a human version of the boogeyman, Negan would have been him. His smile was evil and wide, kind of like how wolf must have been in Little Red Riding Hood. His hair was slick back, stubble lining his jaw, eyes as black as night. At one time, Negan would have been considered handsome, now however, he just made me want to vomit. My stomach actually turning at the sight of him.

"What's he need help with?" Negan's brow drew tight as he looked me over quickly before darting toward the main hall. "Did he find the people responsible for the attacks on our people?"

"I'm… I'm not really… I don't know… He has a few people in his truck," I stated following Negan as he moved around me and headed in that direction. Then his words penetrated my brain. "What attacks?"

That's how out of the loop I was. I hadn't even heard of any attacks. I steered as far away from Negan's business as I could possibly manage. Of course, he was unlikely to involve me in such matters. In this world, least here in this community, women didn't really get the chance to participate unless she was spreading her legs. I would be damned if I was subjected to such a life, and I guess, that is why I kept Negan around. Without him, there was no telling the kind of life I would face.

"Some fuckin' shits decided to attack one of our post… Killed everyone there…" Negan explained as we headed back to the courtyard. "Then the mother fuckers decided to attack innocent riders just makin' a run, Beth… That's the type of world we live in now… No one is safe…"

I didn't respond to his explanation, quietly trying to make sense of what he was talking about. Why would people attack ours? I could only imagine really… People didn't just attack other people for no reason… Did they?

When we came to the double metal doors leading outside, Negan turned to me, his hand coming up to cup my chin. Tipping my face up to his, he said, "Don't worry though… Yer big brother will keep you safe… As long as their breath left in my body…"

That was one thing in the world I didn't doubt. Negan would never, ever let anything happen to me. Sadness filled me for what he'd become, and I could only smile softly up at him as I nodded, saying, "I know…"

He released the grip he had on my chin, letting his forefinger trail down my jaw before turning away. "Want ya t' stay away from these people… No tellin' what kind of shits they are…"

He gave me a hard, piercing look before turning his attention back to Dwayne, who was visible through the window. Holding Lucille over his shoulder, he confidently pushed out into what had been a peaceful afternoon, saying, "What do we have here?"

"Not sure who these two are, but this one's name is Daryl… The fucker who got Chery's sister killed. Worthless piece of shit," Dwayne explained, kicking the man hard in the side. "Found them in the woods, few miles from that town, Alexandria."

_**Daryl**_

I don't know how I let the little mother fucker get the jump on me. One minute I was tracking the bastard, and the next, Michonne, Glenn and I was surrounded. The motherfucker had my bow, and I swear the second I had the chance I was going to make him eat one of those bolts. I knew I should have waited to come find his sorry ass, something in my gut had been twisted, telling me I was headed into a world of bullshit.

Now I was sitting tied, and chained to the back of a pickup, staring helplessly at my sister and brother… Yeah we weren't blood related but I claimed them as my family all the same, and now because of my recklessness we were all captive, heading to God knows where to God knows what…

After Dwayne and his comrades had circled us and gotten the jump on his he'd stripped me of my vest, one of the many reasons I was going to make him eat his teeth. The first one being, the fact he'd the worthless piece of shit had killed Denise with my own god-damn bow… What kind of shit was that? Just killin' one of my damn friends with my own weapon…

I glanced back and forth between Michonne and Glenn, trying to figure out how we were going to get out of this disaster. No answers were fast coming to me however, the motherfuckers had us chained up, barely able to move. I would like nothing more than to wrap my hands around Dwayne's throat at the moment and choke his life right out of his body. At the very first opportunity that was exactly what I was going to do.

I estimated we were about nine or ten miles away from Alexandria by now… Rick and the others would be wondering where we were soon, and come looking… I'd tried to leave a trail for them to follow, but being that they weren't trackers, I wasn't sure they would have picked up the evidence I'd left… Dropping a bullet here and there wasn't exactly the best trail I could leave, but it was all we'd had. Michonne and Glenn understanding when they too started dropping random things, least till we'd been tied and there wasn't anything we could do after that.

I glared at the fucking weasel that was smiling at me from his perch on the tailgate. Pure hatred filled me, and I could just sink my teeth right on his nose and rip it from his face. Days before all this had happen, Eugene had bitten the man's cock, and if there hadn't been a gage in my mouth preventing me from speaking, I would have taken great pleasure in rubbing that little fact in.

Staring at the piece of shit, I tried working the rope around my wrist loose, but to no avail. The damn thing was so tight it bit into my flesh, leaving them raw and stinging, needless to say I was fucking helpless and that pissed me off to no end. I was used to being in control of everything, and right now, I had no fucking control of anything.

Glenn's face was swollen from the beating he'd taken, and even Michonne had been roughed up a bit. My own jaw was starting to ache, and I could feel the burning in my nose from the few cowardly jabs Dwayne had delivered after I'd been tied. My ribs were fucking sore, and it was kind of hard to breathe, but somehow, I managed to get air in my lungs.

After about a good twenty minutes I felt the truck begin to slow, and from what I could see we were turning into what looked like a factory of some sort. From the road, the community would have never been visible, and it was little wonder we hadn't thought to look here when we'd begun hunting Negan. It was off the highway for fuck sake, and honestly, the last place I would have thought to fucking look.

The fences were tall encircling the property with barbed wire wrapped around the top. It would definitely be hard to escape. Finally, we pulled up to a dingy building, and came to a stop. Taking all of our surroundings, my gaze shifted from the fences to the building, even scanning the top.

The sun was glaring into my eyes, but I could barely see a figure come to the edge of the building, obviously taking in the scene below. I didn't have much time to make out who it was before Dwayne let the tailgate drop, reaching in to grab Glenn. With a hard pull, Dwayne yanked Glenn to the edge letting him drop to the ground with no assistance. A pained groan coming from the man that was like a brother to me.

Then they took Michonne, offering her very little support as she too fell to the ground, luckily Glenn was there to soften the impact of the biting gravel. That's when Dwayne's partner came for me, thinking quickly, my leg straightened, and swept out under the man's feet. Little satisfaction was to be had, because Dwayne's rifle came down hard on my temple. Just as everything went black, I heard Dwayne say, "Beth… Go find Simon…"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note:**_ I want to thank everyone for coming to read this story. I would really love to know what you think, so please feel free to let me know… **Thanks for reading… Please Review**

_**Beth**_

The guy named Daryl was unconscious when Dwayne and Shepherd lifted him from the ground. Instead of Negan dirtying his hands, he kicked Shepherd with a hard boot in his leg, saying, "Get the fuck up… Let some worthless redneck outfuckingsmart ya… Who the hell do I got working for me anyway?"

Shepherd hastily climbed to his feet, holding back the groan that would have fallen from his lips, knowing better than to say anything in return. I grimaced on the inside. Working for someone indicated one had a choice in the matter, and these men didn't have a choice. Well, I guess they did… They could work for Negan, or be put on the fence… If you could really call that a choice. Yet that was my brother's logic… Either you were for him, or against him, and there was no in between.

It took both men to heft the wild man from the bed of the truck and instead of assisting him in getting out of the back, they just kind'a pitched him forward, letting his hard body collide with the gravel.

It took everything within me to stand there and watch. I wanted to run down the steps and put myself between the men and this man I didn't even know. Instead, I stood there with my teeth clenched, my entire being stiffening, as I contemplated what I could do to help these people. Honestly, there wasn't much I could do… If I uttered so much as a word, Negan would have me locked in my room, indefinitely.

He'd done it once before… When this had all started, and when he'd made the transformation from my brother into this… this… beast that was just a visual image of the person I had once loved with all my heart. I had tried to stop his brutality, when he'd taken Mary from her husband, threatening the man with the fate of Lucille if he interfered, I had spoken out against what he was doing.

"_Negan, what are you doing? You can't just take another man's wife as yours," I said, shocked at the idea. "Who does that? Of course, he's going to refuse…"_

"_Beth, stay out of this," Negan had said, his cocky face turning serious as he considered my protest. "Things are the way they are and the sooner these fuckers see that the sooner, we can all live in peace."_

"_Who the fuck are you?" Tears welled in my eyes as I studied him. The picture of his sitting on the hospital bed next to his dying wife, tears running down his cheeks, started to waver. "I swear, I don't even know you anymore… What would Lucille think… What would she say if she could… see you doing this…"_

_The mention of his wife seemed to make him angrier, and he bared his teeth as he glared back at me. "Don't bring her into this, Beth… She has nothing… Nothing to do with this…"_

"_That's fucking obvious," I told him, my chin lifting as I refused to back down. I was the only person in the world to talk to this man, this way… Anyone else would have been dead the second Lucille had left their lips. "Just leave Mary and Billy alone… They don't deserve this…"_

"_Mary will be my wife, and that is the fucking end of it," Negan stated, with finality. "I won't hear no more about it from you or anyone else."_

_Things had gone completely south after that. Negan had grabbed Mary by the arm, his fingers caressing her skin, as he urged her to his side. "Either you can be my wife, and Billy will live…"_

"_I can't," she whimpered, shaking her head in the negative. Tears seeped out of the corner of her eyes, as she tried to withdrawal her arm from Negan's grasp._

_He released her arm, his teeth showing as his anger increased by the refusal. "You would disrespect me and my house by refusing the honor of being one of my wives… No one says no to Negan…"_

_With that simple statement, he'd swung Lucille, and planted the barbed wire bat against Billy's forehead._

_He hadn't relented until Billy's head was smashed, and Mary was reduced to a slobbering mess. I stood there in terror, watching the scene, my insides froze. I could barely breathe, and the vomit climbed my throat without warning, until I puked all over the drive. I was crying and didn't even realize it, until the tears dripped in rivers down my cheeks. _

_Negan turned to Mary and lifted withdrew his knife from his belt. Without so much as a breath, he walked straight up to her, and drew the blade across her neck. She wilted to the ground with a gasp. _

_Negan turned his attention to me at that point, and I thought my own life was in jeopardy. Slowly, he walked over to me, and his face dropped to mine. "Never get in my business, Beth… Put her in her room…"_

_Simon grabbed me by the arm before I even knew what was happening and yanked me behind him. He'd shoved me in my room, and that is where I stayed. I was there so long; I wasn't even sure how much time passed. _

So, yeah as they picked Daryl up from the ground where he'd fallen, and drug him toward the double doors, I remained silent. Before they'd even reached the doors, several of my brother's men came out to grab the other two prisoners and pulled them in the same direction. I briefly glanced at them, as they passed me, fearing my gaze would betray my thoughts.

Under the veil of my lashes I looked at the unconscious man being dragged up the stairs. His hair was soaked with sweat, the dark stringy strands framing his face, leaving his strong features visible. Stubble lined his jaw, a hard jaw, his cheekbones sharp, firm lips relaxed in his current state. His scent wafted to my nose as he passed, masculine and woodsy, wrapped around my senses. I knew if he was standing, he'd be at least a head taller than me, I would only come to his shoulders. Daryl's build was muscled, the lines of his arms visible from his cut shirt, hinted to a defined body. The muscles of his thighs pressing against the fabric of his cargo pants.

He looked wild and rugged in appearance, but to me he was pretty intriguing. My fingers itched to touch him as he passed. I wanted to trace the definition of his muscles on his shoulders. I didn't though… If I dared touch this man in front of my brother, he'd take great pleasure in removing that very sexy arm.

"Take Daryl to the cells… Strip him, and chain em'…" Negan stated with a sneer, and then gave the other two a pointed look. "Take those two to my office… I have a few questions they can answer."

For the best interest of these prisoners I hung back as they were taken to separate ends of the building. Negan's "office" was on the third floor on the north end, and the "cells" were in the basement on the south end. The once factory was a maze to anyone who didn't know the layout, and even if one or the other was to break free, they would have little hope of finding each other. I chose to follow Dwayne and Shepherd as they hefted Daryl's weight to his cell, making sure I remained undetected.

Everyone knew I stayed away from the goings on around here, and if they noticed I took any type of interest, it was sure to gain attention. I stayed a hall length behind them, peeking around the corners until they disappeared from view, then jog down to the next turn. Then finally they stopped in the last hall where about ten doors lined the wall on the far side, and they opened the fourth one, shoving the cold metal wide.

"Get his clothes," Dwayne ordered, as he proceeded to unlace and strip his boots off.

I had never seen a naked man before, and I hated that the first time that I would enjoy the pleasure would be under these circumstances. Yet as they removed Daryl's clothes, I could help the heat that spread through my body. The man was built for this world. From his spirit to the fine lines of his lean muscle that became visible with every piece of cotton stripped from his hard body. Shepherd peeled off Daryl's shirt revealing hard pecks, and defined abs. I almost couldn't look when Dwayne worked his pants loose, and pulled them down his long legs, but I felt compelled to watch, a heat climbing my neck. He was beautiful. All I could really see was the side of his leg, and one hard buttock. That was plenty to fill my imagination for days. Everything about the man, reminded me of a sleek panther climbing over boulders, its power evident in every move.

I suddenly felt a guilt like no other as I enjoyed the sight of his battered form. Dwayne's beating from the courtyard was visible from even at this distance. A large dark bruise forming on Daryl's ribcage, there were several welts dotting his flesh. A wave of fury filled me.

I wasn't sure exactly how, or when but I would help get this man out of here.

_**Daryl**_

I woke up naked in the hallway with my arms tied tight behind my back. The little fucking turd, Dwayne, dumped a bucket of ice-cold water in my face, bringing me back to consciousness with a jolt. Jerking to one side as the splash hit me square in the face, I took in the scene before me through squinted swollen eyes. As hard as I tried to focus however, it was all pretty useless, everything just a blur.

All I really knew at the moment was I was alone… Michonne and Glenn no where in sight…

The chill of the cement sinking into my bones, causing me to shiver uncontrollably, cold rivulets of water streaming down my body, soaking the floor around me. My head was pounding, blood streaking down my temple, dripping on to my upper shoulder. The beating Dwayne had delivered started to take effect, my chest to my toes throbbing, and the way they had my hands tied had my shoulders felling like they were ripping clean from the sockets. The pain I was experiencing now made the beatings my dad had given me seem like child's play.

Even if I was a bloody stump there was no way I would let these two fuck-wads know my ribs were burning so bad I could barely breathe. I went to climb to my knees, when that motherfucker kicked me in the side, causing me to tip to the side and fall back to the floor. Growling in response, I glared up at Dwayne. "Soon as I get loose, I will fuckin' kill y'."

"Well until that day comes this is your fate, your future," Dwayne gloated, grabbing me by the arm that was already excruciating, and yanked me to my feet. "You can let me know how you like it when I bring ya dinner."

With that last statement they both shoved me inside a dank, cold closet, and slammed the door. It was as dark as pitch with the exception of a thin stream of light coming in from the hallway. I heard their footsteps fade away as they left.

I had no fucking idea how the hell I was going to get out of here. I shifted over to the creak in the door and tried to see out into the hallway. Even though I could see out of the little opening there wasn't anything to see. Testing the durability of the door, I threw my weight up against it, yet the damn thing didn't even budge. All I could really hope for was catching them off guard when they came back as good as that sounded, the thought of Michonne or Glenn paying for my actions held me immobile. I could never live with myself if something happened to either one of them.

Helplessness filled me as I stared into the dark. Just as my eyes drifted closed and my consciousness started to slip blaring music filled the tiny space. My eyes ripped open as I looked for the source of the sound, glaring up at a dark corner, I knew just by looking it was to high for me to reach to stop it.

_**Daryl**_

I wasn't sure how long I had been in this damn closet. It seemed like forfuckingever. The music the same song repeatedly filled the concrete, driving me insane, when it would stop for only seconds my eyes would drift closed. Instantly however, it would start all over again. My head was pounding, and there was no fucking rest in sight.

When they were carrying me inside the factory, I had been fading in and out of awareness, or at least I thought so anyway… There had been a woman standing at the top of the steps, her presence no more then a blur really… Probably just a figment of my own imagination. Yet I could swear when they were taking my clothes, I had glanced down the hall at some point and saw her peeking around the corner… In a way, her existence was oddly comforting…

Maybe I am close to death, and she is my angel, I thought, just as the maddening music restarted overhead.

Endless moments passed, and finally after what seemed like an eternity, I heard the lock turn, and Dwayne appeared before me. I would have put my plan into action, yet there wasn't much chance, his rifle striking me square in the chest as soon as the door swung open. I stumbled back a step, and Dwayne and his cronies came forward to pull me from my cell. "Boss wants t' talk t' ya…"

By boss I assumed they meant Negan. What I wouldn't give to get my hands around that motherfucker. No matter what he did, there was no way I would give him any type of information about anything. He was wasting his time, but I refused to speak to the two in front of me.

"Try anything fuckin' stupid, and I will take great pleasure in cutting that pecker off," Dwayne stated, glancing down pointedly at my junk.

My nakedness had me self-conscious as I followed Dwayne down the hallway, his lacky close at my back. There was nothing I could do to cover myself, having my arms bound as they were. Refusing to let them see any type of weakness however, I kept my shoulders as straight as I could manage, and my head as high as I could.

We came to what must have been the actual living space of the factory, passing several people along the way. To my surprise, the place seemed to be filled with all sorts of people, and to what I could tell, most of them were ordinary people. Not fighters, or threats to me, or my group. The only downfall they had was the fact that they lived here, under Negan, and I was coming to the realization that it was probably against their will.

I counted the turns we took as we left the hall, noting mentally the route we were heading, and looking for any means of escape. Escaping physically didn't appear to be a problem, it was learning the route to take, and learning what doors went where, where the windows were to be found, and then, finding Michonne and Glenn. As much as I hated the fact, these people weren't fucking stupid, having thought of everything it seemed. It was highly unlikely that Michonne and Glenn were anywhere fucking close.

A movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I turned to see what it was. That's the first time I saw her.

Her blue eyes were as wide as saucers as she watched me pass, her gaze seeming to take in everything about me. It was kind of unnerving really, the sympathy that flashed in her expression, and she met my gaze without fear. Her hair was like spun gold, hanging to her waist, her face heart-shaped. Her lips were pulled thin with a grimace as she studied me, her soul in those bright eyes. If there was any human form of angel walking this earth, it had to be her.

As I passed her, I would have turned my head to keep her in my sights, but the prick at my back gave me a solid kick to the back of my leg, nearly taking me to my knees.

"Mind yer manners, and keep yer eyes forward…"

At that the angel seemed to dissipate and fade from view. Perhaps I was seeing shit, wasn't like I had much wits about me at the moment. Yet the guys response to me looking at the woman told me she had been quite real and had me wondering who she was. Must be someone important for him to refuse to let me look at her.

I didn't get much time to contemplate it however, because I was shoved into a room that consisted of a table with four chairs around it. A bat was propped up in one of those chairs, which I found odd as hell, then I turned my gaze to the head of the table to find who I assumed was the man my group had been hunting…

"Well, hello Daryl, take a seat… Don't jus' stand there with yer balls flappin' in the breeze," he said, as Dwayne and his partner yanked me to the table, and forcibly sat me in a chair across from the bat.

"As you can guess, I am Negan," he chuckled, staring at me with a toothy grin. "And this is my beautiful, Lucille… Lucy to her friends…"

I was completely confused as he gestured to the bat. That's when I took in the meaning of what he was saying. Lucille was covered in barbed wire from the tip to the base of the handle… The threat didn't need no further explanation.

**Please Review and let me know what you think…**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sorry about the delay in updating. **_Had finals and presentations. Please review…

_**Daryl**_

I stared the bastard in the eye. I barely blinked refusing to let the grinning snake out of my sight for even a fraction of a moment. It was hard… Harder than one might think, looking into the soul of the fucking devil, yet with all of my strength I managed to hold his intense stare. He was playing with the whiskers of his graying beard the entire time he sneered back at me. Finally, he leaned forward in his seat, pinning me to the cold metal under my naked ass.

"Daryl, I would like you to work for me," he started, tapping his fingers impatiently on the metal table. When I shook my head in the negative, his coal black brow shot up, as he said, "We can accomplish this in a number of ways. I can keep torturing you until you finally reach your breaking point… The thing is I kind'a like yer fuckin' arrogance… I would prefer if you just simply agree, and we can go on as if nothing ever happened, you would be my right-hand man, live like a fucking king…"

I chewed on the inside of my cheek only briefly before shaking my head in the negative. I didn't give a shit what he did, there was no fucking way I would ever work for him. With a growl, I snarled back, "Ain't gonna happen…"

Negan chuckled as he backed his chair out from the table, slapping his knee like I'd just told the funniest joke, he'd ever heard. "Oh, but you will… Whether it is voluntary, or force that changes your mind… See you might not care about your own life, but I am fucking positive, you might care about one of your companions…"

The bastard lifted his arm and gestured with his fingers toward the door. Instantly, the door swung open, and Michonne and Glenn were led into the room. They both had seen better days, each sporting their own specific abuse, no doubt inflicted by the bastard across the table. My gaze traveled over Glenn's battered face, and the screech of metal against concrete drew my attention, as Negan lifted himself from his chair. He wasted no time collecting Lucille from the adjacent chair, and nonchalantly he sauntered toward my extended family.

I had it to give to the man. He was great at reading people. While I couldn't give a shit less what he did to me, there was no way I would let him hurt either of the people currently being pushed to their knees.

"With only a word, I can have this woman's dreads cut off and fed to her… Or I can cut out this one's eye, and feed it to him… Would you like to test me?"

I remained silent… watching every move he made. There was something in his stance that told me he wasn't playing… Still the mere idea of his suggestions held me frozen to the seat below me. Who the fuck would be capable of something so fucking awful? Apparently, I contemplated his threat too long, because he shook his head.

"Simon, take this one's eye out and feed it to her," Negan stated, backing up a few paces from Glenn and Michonne… "Actually, you know what, take a few of her fingers and feed them to Daryl… I bet he will have change of heart by the time, I cut her arm off… make sure she doesn't bleed out and he can dine on her for the remainder of his time with us…"

Simon withdrew a hunting knife he had tucked in his waistband and stepped over to where Michonne waited. Even under the threat of amputation, she glared up at the bastard through swollen eyelids. Two other men rushed forward to hold her in place, and Simon stepped around to her tied wrists.

I fucking hated myself before the words even left my lips. Looking into the future for my remaining days, I would fucking hate myself… "Fine… Don't fuckin' touch her…"

Everyone's gaze shot to where I sat. Simon's eyes went to Negan as if asking what he should do… "I'll do whatever y' want, jus' leave em' alone…"

Negan laughed a full belly laugh like there was some unforeseen joke no one else saw but him. "See I told ya, you would reconsider… Yet I'm thinkin' you waited a tad to long to accept my offer… What should we do about that, Daryl?"

I had no fucking idea what this bastard was looking for… My pride stung so fuckin' bad I thought my chest was on fire. A hollowness grew inside me as I sacrificed my integrity for my friends. There was nothing else I was willing to give… He had taken the best part of me. For my endless time in that closet of a room, I hadn't eaten or slept… my wits completely rattled… One thing was fucking for sure… When I had the first opportunity, I was getting us all the fuck out of here.

Negan waited a few ticks before pinning me with his hard-black eyes. "I have an idea… If you tell me where your group is holed up, I will accept your late response, and put yer friends back in their rat hole… How about that? Seems very generous too me…"

Telling him where the group was located would put everyone I loved in jeopardy. This guy sure knew how to get inside a persons very soul… The only relief would be saving Glenn and Michonne, even if only for a moment. Despite that fact however, I was finding it incredibly hard to speak. Studying my friends from across the room, I knew they were silently asking me not to comply, yet I couldn't watch them being torched. There was already a broken part inside me, and watching something that horrific… There would just be no return for that…

"Are you really going to make me wait?" Negan wanted to know, raising his bat to rest over his shoulder.

I couldn't hold out any longer… This man was a dangerous leech, and I had little doubt he would fulfill every word he spoke, and without batting a lash too. "There in Alexandria… Up the highway, off the beaten trail…"

"Great," Negan answered, strolling to where I sat… "Take those two back to their hole, and get Daryl some fucking clothes… Can't have all my wives seeing what this one has to offer… Could spell some sort of jealousy… When he's dressed, feeding him the special and put him back in his closet… Not positive he means what he says, but we will train him later… Get all the men and close off every exit from this Alexandra…."

I wasn't exactly sure how many men Negan had. From what I saw on my way here there were hundreds of people. How one man had scared hundreds of men into doing what he wanted was lost on me. No matter how he did it, the little fact of the matter was, we were no match for this man. The outpost we took out weeks ago must have been only a taste of what lied ahead. We only had about fifteen good fighters among our group and three of them was here.

Within seconds Dwight reappeared carrying a sweat suit, and thankfully he removed the chains wrapped around my wrists. As I hurriedly shrugged into the oversized clothes, he looked me over with a shake of his head. "Not sure what Negan sees in ya, but he's taken a shine to you… The sooner you give him what he asks for, the better your life will be. Trust me, don't learn the lesson the hard way."

I didn't bother to response to the weasel. To my surprise, he didn't put the chains back on as he led me out of the meeting. When the door would have closed behind us, Negan shifted his attention back to me. "Daryl, there is just one more thing…"

Before I knew what was happening, Dwight pushed me forcibly to my knees, whispering, "Y' need t' bow…"

Feeling the hard concrete on my knees, I turned to look at him in utter disbelief. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Without having anyone tell me the answer came rushing in on me… Negan was a man of power… Every single thing he did, was to show his control over the people under his care. Showing any type of weakness at all was to lose the power he held over them.

With gritted teeth I stayed on my knees, of course, Dwight's fist in my back kind of made it impossible to stand. After a few moments, a chuckle from Negan, and a low whistle, I was back on my feet moving through the halls. As I walked to the closet that was my prison, I scanned the area, looking for any type of weakness at all. There were men with AR-15's everywhere, most lingering close to the doors, the average people didn't look armed though.

Just as I glanced up toward the balcony overhead, I saw her… She was looking right back at me, and unless you were paying close attention it might have been missed by the average person. She didn't move from her perch on the railing as we passed, her pointy chin tilting to keep me in her sights as we passed. I'm not sure why, but I just had this feeling like she wanted to help.

Electricity seemed to zip from her gaze to mine, and I felt compelled to hold it. My body tingled from head to toe… warmth flooding me… For the first time in my life, I felt an instant connection to this blonde haired woman a hundred or so feet from me.

When my steps began to faulter a hard shove from the man at my back kept me moving. Reluctantly, I dropped her gaze and continued on my way. Soon as I had the chance, I would get out of here, and this crazy feeling flowing through me would be for nothing. Refusing to give it much consideration, my mind raced for a plan to escape this hell and save my friends as well.

_**Beth**_

I watched from my haven on the roof as Negan gathered all of his people. Most of which were as evil as him, Simon always gave me the willies, and I tried to stay as far from him as possible. It looked like they were getting ready to invade something, which meant, they would all be gone for a good period of time.

Nervously, I twisted a blond lock around my finger as I watched them. As soon as they loaded their trucks and headed down the road, I would be able to locate where the other two prisoners were. Hopefully, they wouldn't be guarded, and it would be easy to get them to the outer buildings without too much detection. As soon as they were in a safe place, I would come back in for Daryl, and with any luck they would be headed outta here by nightfall.

Nonchalantly, I waited as Dwight gathered his crew, and climbed into an awaiting pickup, nearly twelve men jumping into the back. Then Shepherd followed suit with a separate crew, Simon climbed into an old mail truck, and the back was loaded with several men. Then finally my brother glanced up at me, luckily my eyes were covered by sunglasses, and he couldn't tell how intently I watched.

He nodded to me, saying, "Be back in a couple of days, Beth… If you need anything, I have my radio. Hang tight, little sister…"

"K," I said simply, with a slight tip of my lips. Waving my fingers at Negan, relief filled me when he jumped into the hummer. Another handful of men were loaded, and Negan rapped on the roof of the hummer as the convoy started their vehicles and turned toward the front gates. Somehow, I managed to hold my ground until they drove down the lane and turned out onto the main road.

As soon as they were out of sight, I grabbed my radio, and clipped it to my side. Adjusting the channel, I made sure to keep it tuned into Negan's. If there was any type of change in plan, I would know about it right away. Jogging to the door leading down into the factory, I rushed through it, and ran down the stairs. On my way down I kept watch for any sign that guards had been left behind. God must have been smiling on us, because there didn't appear to be any left among the Sanctuary.

Going straight for the arsenal my brother kept, I slowed my pace just incase someone was lurking around that I hadn't seen firsthand. Still no one appeared, and I hurried into the room. Grabbing a duffle bag from under a bench, I threw several hand guns inside, tucking one under the waistband of my pants. Spotting a hunting knife, I grabbed the blade tucked into a leather sheath, and put that in my back pocket. Finished I looked around the chamber to see if there was anything, I needed I might have forgotten. To my surprise, I found a set of bolt cutters, and threw them into the bag as well.

Finally done, I lifted the bag, placing the strap over my shoulder. Easing toward the door, I stuck my head out to make sure the hall was clear before leaving the room. I hurried to the hall where Daryl was being kept and sat the bag into an empty room close by. With a glance toward the wild man's door, I hurried in the other direction.

I had watched Simon put the others in a room next to Negan's office. The woman and man were in a location not very populated, even by regular people, so getting them out first and undetected would be easier than Daryl. Even though I didn't expect anyone to notice what I was about, I took the outer, longer route. Perspiration dotted my brow as my heart raced. Adrenaline coursed through my body, and I blew out a long breath, hoping to calm myself.

I had never done anything against my brother; besides the one time I'd tried to save Mary and Billy, and the thought of getting caught sent a chill through me. Negan wouldn't care that I am his sister, if he finds out I have betrayed him, and he would make me pay the same as anyone else. My hands were slightly shaking, and my lungs squeezed with anxiety. As long as I was able to get them out of here first, I would pay whatever price I had to.

Negan's office was finally in sight, and with growing confidence I raced to the room. I was relieved to find the hall deserted, and luckily my brother had just a couple of flaws in his plans. The key to the door hung on a hook right next to it. With quivering fingers, I grabbed the brass, and stuck inside the door. Slowly I pushed the door open and went inside closing the door firmly behind me.

I put my fingers to my lips as the prisoners came into sight. "I'm here to help you… Just be quiet and you'll be outta here in a jiff."

Their eyes were as wide as they could be as I approached them. Quickly I slipped the knife from my pocket and gestured for their hands. "As soon as I cut these ropes, I will lead you to the exit… When you get outside, go left there is a building on the right, go inside. I will come and show you the way out…"

"We have a friend…"

I glanced at the Asian as he spoke, nodding in response, "Don't worry… I know where he is, and I will bring him to you…"

Tears seemed to be in the black woman's eyes as I spoke. "Why are you doing this?"

I contemplated her question as I cut through the rope holding the Asians hands first. There wasn't a definitive answer to that question. Ducking down to get the ones around his ankles, I met her gaze, "Does it matter?"

She shook her head as I lifted to my feet and went to her. Hurriedly, I cut her bindings, and stood up straight. "I need everyone to be as quiet as possible as we go through the halls. I'm not sure how many men Negan left behind, and I really don't wanna find out."

"He left?"

"Yeah, looked like he would be gone for a while… figured this was my only chance…" Going to the door, I again held my breath as I stuck my head out, and looked down the halls. Finding then vacant, I gestured behind me as I removed the revolver and handed it to the Asian. "Here… Only use it if you absolutely have to… The noise will draw a lot of attention."

When the man took the gun, I handed the blade to the woman. "Use this instead… if you can."

She looked at me in disbelief. Shrugging in response, I said, "If they are coming after you… they aren't good people…"

She nodded as she took the blade, keeping it in hand just in case. On light feet we all jogged down the hall, keeping to the sides that were heavy in shadow. Finally, we came to the exit. I stopped at the door and turned back to them. "Remember what I said… Stay put and I will bring him as soon as I can…"

When they both agreed I pushed the door open and glanced around. Again, I was a bit shocked to find the area clear, but I didn't waste time worrying about it. "Go to the building and keep a low profile… Hopefully, I will see you in a few minutes…"

I didn't wait to make sure they reached safety. Before I could relax, I had to get Daryl out of here, and with that thought I went back for him. I went to the room where I had set the guns and tucked the strap over my shoulder. Once I stood in front of his door, I took several breaths, and took the key off the hook. Sliding the key inside the lock, I twisted it and threw it open. He shielded his eyes from the sudden light, as he crotched in a defensive position, as if he was ready to strike out.

Recognition filled his eyes as he took me in…. With a wiggle of my fingers, I said, "Come on… Don't know how much time we have…"


	4. Chapter 4

_**Daryl**_

I thought I was seeing shit… When the door swung open, I shielded my eyes from the intensity of the light that came pouring into the dank closet. Once my gaze adjusted, the angel appeared before me. Maybe I was sleeping… Hell, maybe I was hallucinating… Blinking rapidly, I was a bit shocked she didn't disintegrate before me.

"Come on, we don't have much time," she whispered.

Slowly I climbed to my bare feet and inched forward. Even if she was a figment of my imagination, I found myself wanting to touch her, and keep her close. I didn't though… Instead I moved to her side, her feminine scent wafting to my hungry senses. "What are y' doin' here?"

She looked up at me with those wide blue eyes, the corner of her lips lifting slightly, as she said, "Don't worry, Daryl, I will get you out of here… But we have to go now…"

Her nimble fingers lifted, and she grabbed the sleeve of the oversized sweater, giving the cotton a light tug as she urged me to follow her. She didn't have to tell me twice, eager to make my escape, I slipped out of my cell. Looking up and down the hall, unsure which way to go, I murmured, "Which way, angel?"

I still wasn't sure the girl was actually here… Even if this was a dream, I would take the moment of peace this illusion would offer… As if to reassure myself that she was actually real, I lifted my hand, and slipped my fingers around her waist… The warmth seeping from her slight form was a comfort I couldn't even begin to explain…

"First, I'm gonna lock this door back up and take the key… It will buy us sometime in case they come looking," she explained, stepping around me. Hurriedly she closed and locked the door and slipped the key into her pocket. Once she was done, she reached for my hand, insisting I follow. She shifted a heavy looking bag over her shoulder as she prepared our escape... I might be a redneck, but I had fuckin' manners, and there was no way I was lettin' this girl lug that much weight over her shoulder. Without even asking, I took the bag from her shoulder, and placed on mine. She gave me a grateful glance, as she said, "Stay close… I'm not sure who is out and about… Good thing is, Negan's gone… So, we have to get the hell out of here…"

Hearing Negan had left offered me very little comfort… I knew where the bastard had gone, and there was nothing I could do to warn my group… My gut told me this was not going to be good. Negan was dangerous… Far more dangerous then we'd given him credit for. I didn't have time to contemplate the realization of it all at the moment… I was to busy trying to keep up with the blonde minx in front of me as she ran through the shadows of the hall…

I practically held my breath as I followed behind her… When she came to a stop to check around the corner, thoughts of Michonne and Glenn tickled my mind. As much as I wanted my freedom, I just couldn't leave without them. When the angel would have taken flight once more, I grabbed a strand of her blonde hair to stay her… "My friends… I have to find them…"

"It's a good thing I already have them in a safe spot," she whispered with a quick smile over her shoulder.

Just as she sprang around the corner, voices coming in their direction caught their attention. The girl wrapped her warm fingers around my hand, giving mine a squeeze as she slipped inside and open doorway… Pulling me behind her, she tucked us both neatly inside, and shut the door, leaving it cracked open.

My heart was pounding so hard I thought the people coming in their direction would surely hear it… Hell, it was the only noise filling the room where we waited. I could swear the girl in front of me was holding her breath, and the thought of her passing out when I was so close to freedom made my chest constrict. Leaning close to her ear, I whispered, "Better breathe, angel… Don't want y' passin' out on me…"

She jumped as my breath tickled her ear. "Sorry didn't mean t' startle ya…"

She gave a nod of acknowledgement as the figures passed the room, her fingernails digging into the back of my hand… Apparently my angel wasn't as calm as she appeared… If this situation wasn't so fucked up… I might have tried to ease her fears a bit. Couldn't though cause my own nerves were fucking shot… I was ready to be out of here, and free… Every minute that passed caused anxiety to choke this shit out of me.

Finally, she deemed it clear, and she stepped forward. Her fingers were still wrapped tightly around mine so all I could do was follow. Inspecting the hallway, she pulled me out with her as she once more darted so fast I had to work to keep up with her. I wasn't sure how long I'd went without food, and water but I was defiantly feeling that shit. Shaking the dizzy sensation starting to swirl in my head, I forced my thoughts to finding my friends, and getting home.

Home…

Funny… When we had first found Alexandria, I had been out of my depth… The atmosphere and people were so different then what I was used to… I'd felt like a sore thumb just wacked with a hammer… That's how bad I stuck out… But now… Now… Alexandria was home… Currently, my home was being threatened… That single thought gave me renewed energy to get out of here.

We seemed to run forever… This place was nothing but endless hallways and doors going in all directions. If it weren't for the girl leading the way, I probably never would have found my way out of here. Then finally we came to a door, a bright red exit sign hanging over the top, my nerves screamed as she once more stopped.

I no longer cared if it was safe… I just wanted to burst out into the waning sunlight. Forcing myself to pause while she pushed through the barrier and surveyed their surroundings, was the single hardest thing I had ever down in my life. Then as if God smiled down on me, she turned and gave a nod, saying, "Let's get out of here, Daryl…"

I needed no encouragement… I was close on her heels as she ran through the between the outer buildings. We entered the next building at a run, not even stopping to take a breath as she ran straight for the next exit. We were just about to the door when Michonne and Glenn stepped out of hiding.

"Ain't you a sight for sore eyes," Glenn grinned, swiping a cobweb from his forehead. "Felt like we were waiting forever."

"Tell me bout it," I told him, the first sign of relief flooding me. They were safe… Michonne and Glenn were safe… I am safe… Least for the moment. I wouldn't know true release until this place was far behind me. Looking toward the girl who'd led us to safety, I gave her a hard, intense look. "Now what, angel?"

"The bag has guns and ammo in it… This door leads straight out into the woods… Stay off the main roads… Hell, stay off of any roads… Negan has people everywhere… Like I told her," she explained, motioning toward Michonne. "If they are after you, they aren't good people…"

Stepping around her, Michonne pushed the door open, and glanced around outside. "It's clear… We should go before anyone notices we're gone."

I turned to the girl who'd led me and my friends to freedom. I'm not sure why, but I hated the thought of leaving her behind… "What's yer name, angel?"

"Beth." She pushed her heavy hair over her shoulder, swiping at the sweat soaking her brow. She chewed lightly on her lower lip as she studied me for a long minute. Her mouth dropped open as if she would speak, and then it quickly snapped shut.

"Thanks, Beth," Glenn offered, his thanks genuine. "If we can ever repay the gesture… We will."

I forced my gaze away from the girl… I probably wouldn't ever see her again. The thought saddened me more than I could have imagined. No sense in thinking about something that could never be.

Michonne, Glenn, and I stepped out into the late afternoon, and headed toward the woods lining the property. We were only ten feet from the door, when a voice called to me.

"Take me with you, Daryl…"

_**Beth**_

Negan was going to kill me… He was going to kill me dead… Yeah, the thought is one in the same, but I couldn't stress the point enough… If my brother ever finds me… The consequences would be horrendous. I cannot even imagine what my punishment wouldn't be, because Negan could be very creative when it came to punishments.

Yet as I followed Daryl through the woods, the woman Michonne behind me, and Glenn at my side, it was the only thing I could think about. The thought was so prominent that I kept stumbling over roots, and branches on the forest floor. One about brought me to my knees, yet Glenn quickly caught me, and set me on my feet.

"You okay?" he asked, concern wrinkling his brow.

"Yeah," I nodded.

I was okay right now… Yet when Negan found me, I wouldn't be. I wasn't sure why I had asked Daryl to come, but when he would have disappeared into the woods, never to be seen again, the words sort of just slipped out. As fearful as I was about Negan finding me, exhilaration filled me, and I just kept running. No one wanted to get rid of that monster more than I…

"We should probably find a place t' get some rest," Daryl stated as his pace slowed. "We ain't gonna get any further tonight… So fuckin' dark out… Maybe find a coon t' eat… fuckin' starved."

Hearing Daryl mention food had me kicking myself. I had been so concerned with protection; I had completely forgot about getting food. By coon, he couldn't possibly mean, a raccoon, could he? The mere idea made me cringe… Yeah, okay… I had been fucking spoiled… In the middle of a zombie apocalypse I had been fucking spoiled… My brother might be the devil, but he had taken care of me. From housing to food, he'd made sure every need I had was met.

"We can't stay out in the open," I told him, forcing my selfishness aside. "Once Negan finds us missing, he will have hundreds of people combing these woods… He will find us… He is a bastard like that…"

Speaking of the devil, the radio clipped to my side crackled to life, "Looks like they have walls all around the property… Spread out… We will catch them coming out."

"What was that?" The woman at my back wanted to know… her dark gaze going to my side.

"I took a radio. Thought it would be good to know where the monster is at all times." Unclipping the radio from my side, I handed it to her. "Keep it on that channel… It's Negan's…"

The woman looked long and hard at me before her dark gaze dropped to the radio in hand… "You must be someone important… To have so much access…"

Her voice trailed off as her gaze came back to me filled with suspicion. The intensity of her black eyes caused a chill to sweep through me. She was very intuitive, and suddenly, I had to consider the wisdom of revealing exactly who I was… I immediately dropped her gaze and looked toward the Asian who was regarding me with just as much concentration. When I chanced a look at Daryl… I knew the actual danger I was in…

These people hated my brother… I wasn't sure why they'd killed his men in the first place, but I'm positive they'd had it coming. If they hated Negan that much… There was no way telling them I was his sister was a good idea.

Swallowing tightly, I shook my head, "I'm just a nurse… I help the doctor when he needs it… I… I… can pretty much come and go without notice…"

Silence descended on the group for several minutes as they evaluated my explanation. Daryl finally seemed to accept my answer as he nodded, "K… well they are bound t' know yer missin' soon… Should find a place t' rest before they come lookin'."

The other two seemed reluctant to agree with Daryl's ease of acceptance. Glance full of meaning passed between the two. A chill ran down my spine… Perhaps it had been a mistake to come. I could somehow slip away, go back the way we come, and go back to the Sanctuary. The thought just didn't have very much appeal…

Even if they had suspicion about who I was they didn't speak about it any further. Their thoughts going to other things.

"Sounds like he's at Alexandria," The woman said to the Asian. "Rick, ain't there… Was going to talk to Jesus about the deal we had…"

"That means the place is completely unprotected."

"Also means Rick might see em'," Daryl chipped in. "He'll see them… Lets jus' hope fer that… Negan wouldn't attack innocent people…"

"That's what you think," I offered, the words just slipping out. "Sorry… Just seen that man do some very evil things…"

I know my words didn't offer them the comfort they were looking for, but I just couldn't let them have this false hope. "When Negan wants something, he will stop at nothing to take it… The scars on Dwight's face were a gift from Negan… That's after he took Dwight's wife as his own…"

Silence once again filled the woods…. The sound of crickets chirping filling the cool night. We zig zagged through endless trees, and bushes before we came to an old farmhouse. "Everyone stay close… Sounds pretty quiet, but never know…"

We went through a half hour of inspecting the property. Determining it was safe, we went inside, and rummaged the cupboards. There wasn't much but a couple of cans of pears, and one can of Spaghetti O's. A package of stale crackers was one shelf pushed all the way to the back. Grabbing their small treasure, we went into the family room off the kitchen, the Asian and the woman dropped down on a sofa near the window. Looking outside for a long minute they turned back toward Daryl and I. Daryl knelt on the floor next to the sofa, and being the stranger of the group, I hung back unsure where to go…

These people weren't my friends… Until this afternoon, I hadn't spoken a word to them… The only reason they'd let me come is because I'd asked… If I hadn't asked, I would be curled up in my bed right now…

"Jus' gonna stand there," Daryl wanted to know. "Can sit down… Ain't gonna bite'cha…"

Hesitantly, I went to where Daryl was kneeling, and let my weary legs melt beneath me. When I was finally resting next to him, he lifted the treasure they'd found in the kitchen. "Y' get first pick… Cause of y' were here…"

I wouldn't feel right taking their food… I had, had a large meal for lunch, while they'd probably had nothing… One of Negan's first punishments was food deprivation. People caved pretty quickly when they were hungry…

"I'll just have a couple of crackers," I told him… "You guys must be starved."

"Sure?" Daryl asked his brow furrowing. "Can't go without eatin'."

"I will be fine for today," I explained, nodding to them. "Please, eat and don't feel guilty… We'll find something tomorrow…"

He gave me an unsure look before passing me the sleeve of crackers. Slipping a couple from the plastic, I handed them back. Quietly, we ate, everyone lost in their own thoughts. When the last of the food was gone, Glenn offered to take first watch so the rest of us could get some sleep. Daryl immediately when to a far corner, grabbing a decorative pillow from a chair, and stretched out on the floor. The woman was already passed out on the corner of the couch, the Asian's eyes were drooping, and I could bet he'd be out in a few minutes… easy…

Once again, I was at a lost to where to go… Deciding the spot I had was as good as any, I would have laid right where I was… Daryl's voice came from the corner, stopping me however, "Y' comin'…"

I didn't need any further invitation. Jumping to my feet I went to the corner, prepared to bed down a few inches away from the man who'd captivated me… His arm reached out however, and he pulled me into his side… A deep breath escaped his chest as I nestled into his shoulder, and his warmth instantly surrounded me. The feeling of security had never been so overwhelming before, and as I rested my head on his shoulder, my eyelids dropped. As I drifted off to sleep, I heard him murmur, "Ain't lettin' y' go, angel…"


	5. Chapter 5

_**Beth**_

His hand was on my boob. That's the first thing I noticed when I came back to consciousness. All through the night, he'd held me tight against him, his firm body pressed into the back of mine. My head had been tucked into his shoulder, his nose buried in my hair, a muscled arm wrapped around my waist, while his hips cocooned mine. It was probably the best night of my life.

Which was weird, right? I mean, I don't even know this guy. Somehow, however, I felt safer with this stranger wrapped around me then I ever had before. How was that even possible? I wanted to stay right here for the rest of my life, and I only knew two things about the man. One his name was Daryl, and two, he'd a day ago, been a prisoner of my brother…

And now, these crazy feelings were swirling around in my body…

Like I said, even though he was sound asleep, his hand was cupping my breast, and every once in a while, his fingers would tighten around my boob, making the nipple go erect… Like right now, his palm was pressed against the pointy nub, and tingles were shooting from my chest throughout the rest of my body. If that wasn't bad enough, his hips would rock into mine every now and again, and I'm not entirely sure, but I think he was aroused.

I mean, I don't have anything to compare it to or anything… I am a virgin… But I have seen a man's penis before, both erect and flaccid, now however, there was something hard poking me in the butt every time he pushed forward. That only made the whole thing worse, cause my lower body started to throb, and this urge to move against him was so compelling… I had to bite my lip to keep from moaning out loud, my eyes squeezing shut as I fought against this need coursing through me.

He moved behind me, his face burrowing further into the long tresses of my hair, his hot breath fanning the back of my neck. His hand shifted, his fingers squeezing before leaving my breast to skim down my side… It came to rest on my hip only for a second, and then he retraced where he'd already been. Honestly, he was driving me fucking crazy…

The thing was I just didn't want it to be over… A shaky sigh rushed from my lips when his fingertips tweaked the hard nipple… Biting my lip extra hard to keep from making any noise, I could swear I tasted blood…

What was this guy doing to me?

First, I had betrayed my brother… Yeah, Negan was a creep, but he was still my blood… Then, like a retard, I had asked to come with Daryl, and his friends… If that wasn't bad enough, I had lied about who I was… When they found out… And let's face it… They were going to find out… Not only would the man wrapped around me hate me, but my life could very well be in jeopardy… He would definitely feel betrayed, and never want another thing to do with me…

Even with all of these possibilities, I couldn't focus on a single one, cause the guy behind me was back to fidgeting, and my body was all types of responding… I just wanted to turn over, and bury my face into his warm chest… God… Maybe I could, I mean… we were both still technically sleeping… Opening my eyes just a crack, I could see that it was still very dark in the family room… Who would know besides me if I just turned over, and satisfy a little of my own curiosity? Besides me of course…

The impulse was so great, I just couldn't ignore it… I don't think I had ever wanted something so bad in my life… I know… I am just awful… Wanting this stranger with an intensity I couldn't even begin to explain… Negan would slit my throat if he knew… yet even the fear of my brother couldn't stop me.

Mind made up, I sleepily shifted, and rolled onto my back… which proved to be a trial of its own, considering breaking Daryl's hold on me was nearly impossible… Once I managed to turn towards him, he seemed to settle into the new position, and I nestled my face close to the side of his neck… My own arm went around his waist, my hand sliding over his side… He moved slightly to adjust to me, his leg opening, and my knee instinctively settled between his…

Holy shit… He was so much man… I felt fragile… Tiny compared to his masculinity swallowing my slight figure whole…

The top of his thigh was pressed against the junction of my legs, whereby the way, a throbbing had started and grown… A shaky breath blew out of my lips as a boldness took hold of me… My hand tunneled under the oversized shirt… Encountering warm skin, my hand floated over his ribcage, fingertips tracing the lean muscle of his tight abdomen, just before my fingernails grazed the circle of his bellybutton. Gooseflesh dotted his hot skin, everywhere I dared to touch, yet for some reason I hesitated about going any further… I wanted to feel his chest, feel the hair there I'd seen when he'd been naked at the Sanctuary… Yet for some reason, I found myself hesitating…

He'd touched my breast… I should just touch him… Right? I mean he'd touched my breasts… Still I faltered over the idea…

Finally, I just let myself go… My palm flattening against his warm skin, and traveled up his torso… Finding his hard peck, tingles rushed over me when his hard nipple pressed into my hand… My nose nuzzled his jaw… and I wanted nothing more than to kiss the man, who was little more than a stranger… When my fingernail flicked over the hard nub of his male nipple a strangled breath rushed from his lips…

His hand tightened in my hair, the tresses tangled around his fingers, a light pressure drawing me away from him… To my utter shock… His eyes were wide open, and he just stared into mine… "Comfortable?"

Instantly, I jerked my hand out of his shirt… "I… I'm… I thought you were asleep…"

His hand brushed the hair out of my face. "Was… Then I felt the angel's wings flutterin' over me… Don't have t' stop…"

He was giving me permission to touch him… I would have been utterly mortified if he didn't look like he'd enjoyed the encounter… Still it was kind of weird to touch him now when he was awake…

Okay, Beth, stop being a creep… Who the hell feels up a man when he is asleep? Me. That's who…

Feeling my face flame with embarrassment, I wanted to find a hole and climb inside it… Yet he didn't seem put off by it… Why should I be embarrassed?

You are a grown woman for God sake, I told myself… You have a right to find a man attractive, and act on it… With this thought, I let my hand slide back inside his shirt, my gaze holding his… His stomach fluttered beneath my fingers as I traveled back to his pecks, feeling his heartbeat beneath my fingertips, I laid my hand there to rest. At the feel of my hand, his heartbeat kicked up in tempo… "Your heart is racing…"

"Ain't everyday y' get touched by an angel…"

Men had lines for women… They would tell them anything to get what they wanted, least that is what Negan always said… I didn't think that was the case with Daryl, and the thought that he believed I was some magical creature come down from heaven to touch him, made me melt inside…

My chest squeezed slightly… I suddenly wished I hadn't lied about who I was… Everything out in the open, and this guilty, nagging sensation wasn't going to steal the tenderness of this moment eventually… Hoping he wouldn't see the truth in my eyes, my lashes fluttered, my gaze dropping to his mouth…

Due to Negan's constant surveillance on my every move, I had never even been kissed… Sounds kind of pathetic if I thought about it too long… Twenty years old, and never been kissed… If I knew Daryl a little better, I would simply lift my mouth to his, but I didn't… I felt kind of silly really… Wanting to kiss this man I'd met hours ago… If this was a different time… a different place… Maybe it wouldn't seem so bad…

While I contemplated the idea of kissing Daryl, I felt a tickle on my back just before his large hand found its way beneath my shirt… The span of his hand nearly stretched the length of my back, electricity shooting in every direction he touched, and I couldn't withhold the gasp that slipped out…

_**Daryl**_

I was having the most amazing dream known to man… I had this incredible woman pressed along my length, and my hand had begun to wander over her slight form… I just couldn't help myself… When you'd been in hell so long, you couldn't remember anything before it, you just sort of grabbed ahold of anything remotely good… And you didn't let it go… Least ways, that's what I figured… Never really had much experience with good happening…

Then out of no where the dream started to change, and the angel in my arms had turned to face me… her hand sneaking up the back of my shirt… Which was just fine with me… I'd give anything to have a piece of heaven… Even if only for a second…

Then something unbelievable happened… Her fingers were feathering over my ribcage, tracing the lines on my abdomen, and circling my bellybutton… Her touch was hesitating as she crept further up my shirt, slipping over the skin of my peck, a nail skimming the flesh of my puckered nipple… Her nose was nudging my jaw as if she was seeking a response…

The fog of this unconceivable dream started to clear. As my eyes cracked open, I found my dream was actually unfolding before me…

There was a beautiful creature pressed against me, and she was nudging my jaw with her nose… My eyes nearly rolled in the back of my head at the realization, breathing in deeply of her coconut scent…

She was driving me crazy, and I was positive she had no clue of the effect she was having on me… My cock was rock hard… my leg was wedge between hers, and I desperately wanted to press my thigh into her secret cove… I didn't though… I wouldn't end this for the world, and moving at this moment might scare the crap out of her… Yet I wanted to let her know I was very aware of her…

Swallowing the hunger that was climbing rapidly throughout my body, I whispered, "Comfortable…"

The second I uttered the word I regretted it… Startled she yanked her hand from my shirt, and the loss of her touch was quite real.

Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared back up at me… "Thought you were asleep…"

"Was… Then I felt the wings of angel fluttering against me…" Wanting her to continue more than my next breath, I found myself saying, "Don't have t' stop."

When her hand instantly sought the hem of my shirt and went back inside something like relief filled me. It was kind of crazy really… I wasn't much of a touchy or feely person… Normally, I didn't like anyone gettin' too close…

Her hand came to settle over my heart, and the rhythm increased by several beats… "Your heart is racing…"

"Ain't every day I get touched by an angel," I told her, noticing the way her eyes dropped from mine… Yet they didn't leave me altogether… They came to linger on my lips, and I knew this because they started to tingle in response…

Unable to help myself, my own gaze dropped to hers, and even though it was still dark in the living room, I could make her out perfectly… My fingers curled, wanting to bury themselves in her long tresses and pull her closer… I suddenly wanted to feel her lips opening for mine… Kind of insane… I wasn't one for the gushy romantic shit, but right now… here in this living room… there was nothing I wanted like I wanted to taste her…

If I wasn't missing my guess, she was feeling the same way, least it seemed so… Growing bolder by the thought, and the feel of her fingers combing through my chest hair, I let my own hand creep beneath her shirt… My fingertip tracing the ridge of her spine… I smiled slightly when she gasped in response to my touch…

Should I throw caution to the wind and kiss her? What if she didn't actually want me to? Well, if she didn't, she wouldn't be touching me, would she?

I had never felt so out of my element as I did at this very minute… If I was a different man, I would roll her to her back, and kiss her… If I was a different man… I would know what the fuck to do at this moment… I wasn't a different man however, and moments like this just completely escaped me…

Yet… She was touching me… She was letting me touch her back… Somehow, the moments before I'd come awake… didn't seem so much like a dream anymore… Was I really touching her breasts? There had been a moment in the dream when I'd been holding her breast… Now I had to wonder if it was an actual event… If it had been… she hadn't screamed and jumped away from me.

You should just kiss her, and stop being such a wuss… I swallowed hard at the thought… Could it be that easy? Just lean forward and put my lips over hers…

My body seemed to respond all on its own, and now her lips were only a centimeter away from mine. I hesitated, giving her plenty of time to withdraw if she wanted, but she didn't move… My free hand came up, and brushed her hair from her face, my thumb grazing the flesh of her jaw, and her mouth tipped closer to mine… Like she was giving me silent permission…

Never one to let an opportunity pass, I let my lips settle over hers, and she inhaled sharply in response… She didn't withdraw however… Her lips pressing into mine… Encouraged, my lips moved over hers…

While I wasn't exactly accustomed to this sort of thing, my body seemed to know what to do… And I wasn't disappointed either…

Her fingers curled into my chest hair, and her lips danced with mine… My hand fisted in her hair, and urged her closer as the kiss deepened… My tongue came out to trace along her bottom lip, hoping to gain entrance to the liquid honey inside… She didn't disappoint either, her mouth opening with just a probing, and soon my tongue circled hers before withdrawing… A disgruntled sound left her lips…

Beth, this angel in the form of a human, turned into a greedy, hungry creature… Her teeth nipping my lips just before her tongue dove between my lips… She seemed to crave this connection as much as I… Her eagerness spurred my own starvation, and I returned every nip, and lick she gave…

Our breathing turned heavy, and I completely forgot we weren't exactly alone in the confines of the family room.

Her hand left my shirt, and her fingers wrapping tight in my hair… An animalistic growl rumbled from my chest… Sucking her bottom lip into my mouth… I let the tasty morsel go with a pop, smiling when she whined in protest, her tiny fist in my hair urging me on… The very last thing I wanted to do was let her down, and determined to satisfy her, my mouth dropped back to hers…

My body was so tight at the moment… I could just explode… I couldn't even remember the last time I'd been with a woman, and right now, I was very aware of the fact… My cock was so hard, and currently, laying against her thigh… I couldn't stop myself from rubbing against her leg, her secret spot teasing my senses…

Breaking our kiss, I let my tongue trace the line of her jaw, nipping sharply at her tender flesh along the way… Pushing her hair back, I trailed down to the pulse pounding in her throat, sucking greedily… There were tiny hiccups of sound coming from her lips, and each one spoke volumes of the sensations coursing within her… Happy to know I wasn't alone in this web coiling around me, I relished each one.

I nearly rolled her to her back, and settled between her thighs, but a cough coming from somewhere in the room penetrated my dazed brain… With a start… I turned toward the sofa to find Glenn smiling ear to ear back at me…

"Would you like some privacy?"

_**Attention:**_ I am wondering if anyone here likes MFM… If you have any questions about what that is just let me know… I was thinking of writing this particular MFM starring Daryl, Beth, and Negan… Please let me know what you think…


	6. Chapter 6

**More to come soon…**

I jerked out of Daryl's arms as Glenn's voice filled the quiet room. Wide eyed, I stared up at the man hovering over me, a wave of mortification sweeping through me. I was lying to this man… I was lying to him… and I was lying to his friends…

It was only a matter of time before they figured out who and what I was… Frankly, right now… in this very moment… I was an imposter, and I had no right… no right all to let this happen between us.

Feeling the like the worst creation to walk this earth I untangled my limbs from his… Jumping to my feet, I let my hair cover my face as I rushed out of the room. Rushing into the bathroom, I closed the door behind me, staring at my reflection in the mirror. Breathing frantically, I considered my options, and at this moment… At this precise moment… there were very few to be had.

Closing my eyes, I stayed off a wave of panic, yet calming my nerves seemed to be a trail. The very last thing I could do was go back out there… That woman, Michonne, she would see right fucking through me. She'd know something was wrong… My face was pale, and a bit of perspiration was dotting my brow.

Think… Beth… Think…

The more I tried to reason with myself the more my thoughts fucking scattered. Taking a deep breath, I sat on the toilet… a wave of nausea flowed through me.

What was I thinking letting him touch me? Why did I touch him? The very last thing I wanted was to start something based on a fucking lie… really an omission of the truth…

Tit for fucking tat, Beth…

His touch had felt incredible though… Never had anyone stirred the desire this Daryl did. My body had come to life… His scent… His taste… Jesus…

My betrayal lingered between us, however. I could I face him knowing it…

Glancing around the small bathroom there were very few real options. I could go out the window… I could sneak through the house and out the door… I could go with them and pray the entire fucking time they didn't realize who the fuck I was… The stupidest thing to date was the fact I'd given Michonne my walkie…

Negan would find out soon that I'd left… and chances are he'd give up my lie… If he called me his sister once… I was done for…

A few minutes ticked by and with them my anxiety mellowed… Gulping down a breath of calm, I stood and made my way to the sink. Turning on the water as cold as I could get it, I splashed my face several times, letting the coolness penetrate my hot skin. I took the towel hanging from the rack and dried my face. I was just getting ready to open the door and face my fears when a light tap echoed on the wood.

"Beth… Y' alright."

His gravelly voice seeped through the wood, and I took another breath before opening it. He looked ashamed… That's the best way I could describe his expression. He looked like a puppy who'd torn up the trash… Guilt filled me…

I did that… I put that look on his face… After all he'd been through, and I found a way to make him feel like shit. Regret wove its nasty fingers around me. "I'm so sorry… Things just got out…"

"Yea," he agreed with a jerk of his head, his bangs falling in his eyes… "Shouldn'a… didn't mean t'…"

Despite my own shame, I just needed to ease his doubt. "I know… I shouldn't have let that happen… You didn't do anything… It's my fault…"

He flinched back as if I'd struck him, and another wave of guilt flowed through me. I had this feeling that nothing I said in this moment was going to help… so, I did the only thing I could… I shut the fuck up…

Easing past him in the hall, I slowly made my way back to the front room to find four eyes watching every move I made. A small shiver of panic raced up my spine before I squished it down.

"We should get outta here… Probably couple of days walk from Alexandria," Daryl stated behind her as he stepped into the room. "Should walk well into the night… Hear anythin' that ain't a fuckin' walker and we need t' get down. Try t' blend the best way we can…"

"What about her?" Michonne wanted to know. "We can't take someone from Negan's to Alexandria… place all of our friends in jeopardy… This could all be a setup, Daryl."

I refused to avert my gaze when her black eyes strayed to me. If I wavered even slightly… Unsure exactly what they would say if they found out I was Negan's sister. I remained silent… If I put up an argument or tried in any way to dissuade her fears, she would be on me. Silently, I shook my head hoping to put her fears at ease.

"The girl goes," Daryl interjected with a force that surprised me. My startled gaze jerked up to meet his.

Even with everything that just transpired between them he still came readily to her defense. I wanted to go to him… I wanted to erase that look of mortification on his face… I wanted to tell him… tell him… what…

I wanted to tell him the fucking truth… I wanted to assure him what happened between us was real… At least it was real for me… Maybe he didn't…

Before I could finish the thought, Daryl hurried to the window and took a quick look around. "Coast is clear. Should get a move on…"

The next few minutes we collected ourselves and one by one we filed out into the early morning. A heavy mist clung to the air as they headed for the trail located near the rear of the cabin. When we came to a stream minutes later, Daryl instructed us to walk in the water, and follow it downstream… Said it would help hide our tracks.

While I wasn't a fan of having wet shoes, I also wasn't a fan of having her brother find me. Obeying his every command, I stepped in front of him when he insisted on walking behind me. They trailed this way until early afternoon, when he finally steered us out of the water into the woods.

A few bumbling walkers spotted us, and snarling they headed toward us. I cringed out of the way as Michonne and the man Glenn easily dropped them. They landed in a decayed heap at my feet, bile climbing in her throat… This was the closest I'd ever come to one of them… Fear held me immobile…

Light fingers touched my side, and Daryl urged me forward. "'s alright, girl… It's dead…"

Only mildly comforted, I skirted them, a sudden urge to vomit climbing my throat. Apparently, my reaction to the rotting body wasn't lost on the group. Michonne looked at me in disbelief and vocalizing her thoughts. Her dark brow crinkled as she observed me. "Who are you? Act like you haven't ever seen a walker before… Why is that…"

Thinking quickly, I shrugged… "Seen 'em, just haven't been this close to one before."

Swallowing tightly, I kept walking hoping to avoid anymore questions. Knowing they had a lot of questions about what I was, who I was, and why I didn't know much about the world they lived in now swirled around in their heads… I just wanted to avoid them as long as possible.

They were just walking into a clearing when the walkie crackled to life. "Negan… Beth's missin'."

**Daryl**

I had never felt so ashamed by any actions I'd ever took in my life… The way Beth jumped out of my arms and raced down the hall had that swiftly changing… I could have killed Glenn for interrupting… for stealing the one moment… the singular moment… that made me feel like I was special in this world…

How fucking stupid could I really be? No one besides this group, my family had ever given a damn about me… Why had I thought for a moment this girl was different? Maybe she'd only saved him to escape the monster.

Well… Whatever it was… she didn't have to worry about me making the same mistake twice. From this point on I'd keep my damn dirty hands off her… When she slipped in the creek, nearly falling into the water, my first instinct was to reach for her… Protect her… yet my hands stayed at his side.

Staring at her blonde head all afternoon was pure torture… I found myself wanting what I'd had this morning… I wanted her in his arms… Wanted to kiss her again…

Ripping my eyes away from her form, I lifted a hand, calling to Michonne. "Let's move into the woods… Need to head south…"

My vow to keep my hands to myself failed me when Michonne and Glenn killed the walkers headed our way. She looked utterly stricken by the dead bastards at her feet. Uncertainty filled me as I lifted my hand, feathering down her side, I ushered her around the skeletal remains inches from her shoes.

When Michonne put a couple of questions to her, and she vaguely answered. My own curiosity was raised. Who was this girl? Really?

As the walkie crackled to life, I noticed the way she flinched as someone relayed the information about her disappearance.

"What the hell do you mean Beth is missing?" Negan's murderous voice loomed in the clearing around them.

A quiver raced the girl ahead of me, and she stumbled on her own feet. "It's alright… Can't hurt ya…"

"She ain't no where to be found… Looked everywhere…"

"Someone better find her… NOW… Everyone at the fucking Sanctuary will pay if someone doesn't find her…"

When she stumbled and fell to her knees on the hard-packed dirt, I knew something wasn't adding up… Leaning down I grabbed a fistful of her shirt and hauled her to her feet. Whipping her around to face me, my nose dropped menacingly toward hers, my brow raising… "Who the fuck are you?"

**Sorry for the long delay in this chapter. I will be updating on a regular basis now… I have been extremely busy with work and school. **

**Please review…. **

**Negan, Beth, and Daryl/ MFM coming soon…**


	7. Chapter 7

**I want to thank everyone who has given this story a chance. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the story. Happy Friday…**

**Please Review… It means a lot and ensures me you are all enjoying the story. Thanks.**

**Beth**

As his murderous eyes stared into mine, I gulped back the fear climbing up my throat, and shook my head. He pinned me to the tree behind me, and I felt moisture prick my eyes. I just really didn't want to lie to him anymore, but where would the truth get me? I could easily find myself being locked up tight…

Who knew how these people would react to learning my big secret?

I tried to avert my gaze to our companion's but couldn't see past Daryl. The tip of his nose was pressed into mine at this point, causing another shiver to run over my skin. When my voice stalled in my throat, he used the handful of material he still grasped in his fist to shake me. Crying out softly when my head thumped into the tree behind me, I closed my eyes against the rage seeping from his expression.

"Tell me who the fuck you are… Or I swear…" He enhanced his threat with another firm shake. His teeth were clenched as he spoke his anger apparent with every breath he took.

There was really no way for me to avoid the issue at hand any longer. I would have to take my chances and tell him who I am. There was little hope of escaping there was three of them, and only one of me. My chest drew tight and my chin quivered with the prospect of divulging the truth. "I… I… I'm…"

I stammered a response, but the sound of the walkie whistled and hissed cutting me off. As my brother's voice boomed through the speaker, I closed my eyes trying desperately to get away from his next statement.

"If someone doesn't find my sister… Right fucking now… I will kill everyone fucking there… Do I make myself fucking clear…"?

I just wanted to die… In most likelihood I would get my wish too. Dread filled my chest, my stomach turning sour… The man holding me to the tree went utterly still as he growled, "Yer his fuckin' sister… Holy fucking shit…"

His grip went slack, leaving me slumping against the trunk where I'd been forcibly pressed. A tear coursed down my cheek, and it took an incredible amount of effort to lift my lashes. With fear evident in my face, my body trembled involuntarily… Tears dripping down to my chin, I whispered. "I'm so sorry… I didn't wanna lie… I just… I couldn't…"

Betrayal glinted from his gaze, and a defeated huff left his lips as his gaze shifted over my face. The only thing I wanted to do was relieve the sadness that was apparent as he regarded me, his initial feelings of betrayal turning to disgust. Hoping to rectify the situation, I lifted my hand to touch him. He flinched away from my outstretched hand, his arm knocking my hand to the side. "Don't fuckin' touch me."

Those four simple words were crushing. I sacrificed everything… My place in this world. The adoration from my brother… Yeah, okay he was a cretin, but he loved me beyond anything else. I sacrificed my comfort… I gave it all up… Why? I'd wanted to help the people standing there regarding me as if I was the one who'd commit those atrocities instead of Negan. Even with all I had given up… all I had risked… Hearing the venomous tone of his voice was fucking crushing.

"You're his fucking sister?" Michonne's voice piped up as she came to stand next to Daryl. She glared at me with as much animosity as Daryl.

"I'm… I…" For the life of me, I couldn't speak past that simple phrase.

My gaze darted to the only person who hadn't spoken yet. Glenn was standing there with a considering look… Even through his swollen lids I could see a glint of kindness seated there. I chose to focus my attention on him… I just couldn't bear the hatred directed at me…

"We're on it, boss." Came a response through the speaker. "All available personnel find fucking Beth right now… Search every room inside and out…"

Gulping back my panic, alarm rushed through me, helping me find the words. "We have to go right now… As soon as they realize I'm not there… they will be combing every tree from here to kingdom come… Right now, we have to go…"

"Beth," Negan called through the walkie. "Do you have your radio? Beth… Darlin' pick up if you can…"

I sniffed at the concern in his voice, tears running down my cheeks freely, my chest growing tight. If only he was the man, I had known… before all this… before the world went to hell… Everything was so fucked up… Wiping the tears from my eyes, I shook the what if's away… There was no time to cry…

"Beth… Damn, girl, where are ya?"

"We have to go, right now… right now… now… If they find us… Negan won't spare ya this time… There won't be any more games… He will kill ya." Urgency filled my voice, and it must have had the desired effect, because they finally sprang into action.

"Ain't walkin' around with y' runnin' free," Daryl spat finally releasing me. "Find something to tie her fuckin' hands. Can't help kill walkers anyway…"

When Michonne came at me with a piece of rope dangling from her hand, I pulled back… "You can't be serious… Do you know what I've done to help you? I betrayed my brother… I stole from him… I released all of you…"

"Keep fuckin' talkin' and I will gag ya to," Daryl promised, rolling his shoulders. The tension claiming his body was obvious, his cheek clenching as his jaw worked… "Can't fuckin' believe this… could all be a trap…"

His own theory must have taken root cause he instantly jumped in my face. "Did he fuckin' send y'… We let y' in our home, and y' let the wolf inside."

My arms went stiff as Michonne gather my hands and held them tightly together as she wound the rope tightly into my wrist. The twine bit into the tender flesh, and after a few hours, my wrist would definitely be raw. The only comfort I had was the fact she left them in front of me, instead of wrenching them behind my back.

"She's right," Glenn defended, nudging Michonne. "She did all this to help us…"

"Could be a trap like Daryl said," Michonne stated, shaking her head. "Can't trust her. Can't take her to Alexandria either… Put all those people in jeopardy. Never be able to sleep at night."

"I would never…" I began, breaking off, I tried again. "Negan wouldn't do that… He would never… put me at risk like that…"

"Boss, she ain't here anywhere… Searched every place… The prisoners are gone too, Negan."

"Holy fucking shit… How the hell did that happen? You worthless sacks of fucking shit… Find them, find them right now… God damn it."

Michonne grabbed my wrist yanking me forward, pushing me in front of her, she said, "We have to go…. Where we are taking her… She can't go back to Alexandria…"

"There's a cave between Hilltop and Alexandria… I can take her there, while you guys go on home and warn the others. They'll fer sure be comin' when they don't find us here. Send a rider to Hilltop and gather everyone y' can." Daryl planned as they hurried through the woods.

Just as they rounded a bend a walker ambled in their direction. Glenn stepped forward with a knife raised, "I got it."

He jogged a few feet ahead and planted a knife straight into its forehead. Disgusted by the sight of rotten blood splattering, I averted my gaze. Instantly, I took in the coil wrapped around my wrist.

Great fucking predicament I found myself in… I escaped one metaphorical prison only to be placed in a real one. Not only was I starving… I was tired… my feet hurt, and I'm pretty sure my pinky toe was bleeding… My sopping socks and boots were so uncomfortable, and we were being hunted by my brother's men. Now, apparently, I was being taken to the cold comfort of a damn cave…

As if all those things couldn't be bad enough, the groups pace quickened to near jogging, forcing my sore achy muscles to keep up was a challenge. I just kind of wanted to lay right here on the forest floor, maybe under that maple and pass the fuck out. Focusing on the fiery leaves of the tree, my vision blurred as I grew exhausted, shaking my head clear, I grunted as my toe caught the edge of a fallen branch. Stumbling I pushed back tears as pain shot through my foot.

"Can't even fuckin' walk…" Daryl grunted catching me before I fell to my knees. "How y' even make it in this shit… Oh, right, yer fuckin' brother… Ever think about what that safety cost other people…"

"Every day…" I admitted, glaring at him over my shoulder. "That's why…"

They were only twenty feet or so away from the road when the sound of vehicles screeching seeped into the woods. The birds overhead went silent as if they too wanted to see what was happening around them. Weapons in hand, the group ran in different directions, Daryl grabbing my shirt and pushing me toward a fallen log. Non to gently, he shoved me down against the ground the breath leaving my body as I hit the compact dirt. "Stay down, and don't move."

Wide-eyed I rolled to my back to stare up at him in horror. His hand roughly gripped my hip as he hunkered down next to me. Daryl proceeded to turn his attention toward the surrounding forest as the sound of truck doors echoed to where we hid.

Voices approaching had my heart hammering so fast pulse in my ears, causing the sounds around us to fade a bit. I had no idea where Glenn and Michonne found to hide, but I hoped it was better than a spot behind this log. If the men did a large sweep of the area, we were toast.

"Look around, thoroughly boys… Jed's crew are coming through the back… Want this whole area searched… "I ain't dying over that bitch."

"Couldn't have gotten to far… Had to have went on foot… There weren't any vehicles missing…"

Their footfalls crunched through the brush scattered around their feet as they came deeper into the woods. I could hear the sound of their heavy breathing as they drew closer. A tingle raised the hair on my arms, and I found myself, holding my breath less they hear it.

**Daryl**

The morning had turned into one big shit storm. I'd had plenty of bad days in my life, but this one… this one… was fast becoming number one.

When I'd awakened in the early morning hours to have Beth's hands on me, I'd thought perhaps… just fucking maybe… something was meant just for me…

It was the first time I'd ever felt like I needed someone… wanted someone…

When she'd jumped out of my arms, and ran headlong into the bathroom, I'd figured she'd realized I was a hopeless, dirty redneck… Precisely, what I am…

As if my world couldn't have collapsed any further… Well true… It fucking imploded around me… She was Negan's fucking sister… The man responsible for stealing from people I'd come to think of as my family. Hearing Jesus tell it, Negan had done a whole lot worse, and after being cornered by his people on the highway, I tended to believe him.

So, within hours I'd went from having an angel in my arms to having Lucifer's fucking sister. I have led a horrendous life. My father used to beat me so bad, I'd pass out when I was just a kid, my brother ditched me… leaving me alone with that fucking man who'd given me life and on a daily basis tried to take it back. I had to put my own brother down when he'd turned… I'd watched people I'd grown to love slaughtered by the governor. After that I spent every day since, avoiding as much human contact as possible… Caring about people just got ya hurt… That's the lesson I'd learned early in life…

Then I'd met the girl lying behind the fallen log. I had thought God was giving me a gift, and she turned out to be Negan's fucking sister. I have never felt more betrayed than I do right now… I would never raise my hand to a woman, but… man…

I squinted through the branches of the bush in front of me. I couldn't think on her right now… Currently there five people looking around, and there was only a matter of time before they found our tracks. There was no way to cover the tracks of four people no matter how hard you tried. When they drew closer to where Michonne had slipped behind some trees, my heart threatened to pound out of my chest.

When they headed in the direction where she'd disappeared and came out the other side empty handed, I was a bit perplexed until I glanced up into the trees. Somehow my friend had found a way to lift herself up into the birch and was now perched between two sturdy branches. The wave of relief I was feeling was short lived as they started towards me. There was nowhere to disappear to here, if they continued toward me, I was sure to be discovered. Thinking quickly, I picked up a stone near my foot, and when they turned their heads to look several feet away, I pitched the rock in the opposite direction.

Three of the men headed where the rock landed with a clink against a tree. While they were distracted, I looked around for another place to conceal our presence. Before I could find something suitable, I heard a pop off to might right, the sound an unmistakable gunshot echoed through the trees, and before I could really think, I lifted over the bush, taking aim at one of the men, I pulled the trigger. The man landed with a thud before he ever knew what was happening.

A series of gunfire began after that, and within seconds the clearing was once again quiet. From where I was, I could see Michonne still in the tree holding her smoking pistol, yet Glenn was nowhere in sight. Casting a warning glance at the girl laying froze next to me, I skirted the bush to take a look around. All of Negan's men were scattered in the tree as I slowly made my way to where Glenn had taken refuge.

I found Glenn slumped against the trunk of a tree, a thick burgundy spot spread rapidly across his ribcage. "Michonne…"

I dropped to his side, checking his neck for a pulse, before scooping him up. Using my weight to support his, I moved to the woman climbing down from a heavy branch. Seeing Glenn out cold, supported by my weight, a soft curse left her lips, "Oh shit… We gotta get him to a doctor."

"Grab that guys shirt, and press it against his side to 'em from bleedin' out… Take one of their cars, and go to the Hilltop, maybe we can avoid the rest of Negan's men." As Michonne followed my instruction, I helped her shift Glenn's weight to her shoulder. "I'll take the girl and find a place to hole up. Maybe we can avoid any more shoot outs."

"Hand me the walkie… Need t' know where the fuck he is…" I guided her to a little white car at the end of the line. Helping lay Glenn across the back of seat, I shut the door, and tap the hood as she climbed into the driver seat. "Be safe…"

With those supportive words she squealed off, heading in the direction of Hilltop, and once the car disappeared from sight, I made my way back into the forest. When I rounded the bush, I'd ducked behind moments ago, I found the spot I'd left Beth empty, cursing under my breath I looked around quickly. About ten feet away I found her dodging a walker, but as she went to run from it, the thing grabbed her by her bound hands. Shrieking loudly, she cried out as she tried to fight his hold on her.

Jogging in her direction, I pulled my knife, and stuck the walker in the temple. When the damn thing fell, it pulled Beth with it, his torso landing on her legs affectively pinning her to the ground. With a heavy boot, I kicked the rotted body off her, and once she was free, I reached down and pulled her to her feet. "Come on… gotta get outta here."

We only made it half a mile down the road when we heard the sound of vehicles fast approaching, indicating Negan's men knew something was wrong with their friends. Hiding behind trees we waited for them to pass before picking up our pace. When I was sure we were in the clear I shifted our path deeper into the woods, far away from the main road, and deeper into the Virginian mountains.

After another hour of running through the woods we burst into a clearing, where an old cabin sat tucked into the trees. I wanted to stop and search for supplies, because where we were headed, there wasn't anything for miles. I wasn't sure about risking our ground coverage by stopping however, and we pushed past the cabin.

"Can't we stop for a few minutes… We haven't even eaten today…" Beth complained, coming to a standstill and refusing to move. "I ain't going another step until I eat something… I think my foot is bleeding, and my legs are like rubber, Daryl."

"If I have t' put ya over my shoulder, we are goin'," I stated with a lifted brow. I was far from the mood of dealing with much at the moment. I was on the run for my life… Now, because of my recklessness, my friend was probably close to death. Grabbing by her elbow, I pushed her forward, yet the minx dropped to her damn knees, and went all fucking dead weight. "I'm not gonna have yer friends find us with our thumbs up our ass… Now, get up…"

"They are not my friends. I helped you get away from them remember," she yelled back in disbelief. "I threw away everything to get you and your friends out of there… Do you have any idea what Negan will do once he finds out…"?

**Please Review… They let me know I am making you guys happy, or mad in some cases lol. Have a great weekend…**


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